Working Relationships. This position reports to the: Senior Director, R&D Operations. Direct Reports:Food Lab Coordinator. Procurement Coordinator. Lab support contractors (processing-focused and food-safety–focused)Key Internal Relationships:Growth team: Product Developers, Food Technologists, Packaging Technologists, and the R&D Leadership Team. Systems & Information Management teams. Corporate Quality, Legal, Regulatory. External Relationships:External Pilot Plant LT, process leaders, and Pilot plant QFS manager. Suppliers: Equipment, ingredients, logistics, and services. Sanitation and maintenance suppliers. Dimensions: Scope: R&D Food Lab operations, finished food storage, and prototype execution (Internal or external). Budget Responsibility: Lab operating budget; purchasing; GR/ IR and blocked-invoice resolution; and annual budget development, capital and operational. Operational Impact: Speed to market and creativity; food safety and compliance; continuity of supply; and resolution of critical pilot plant and business needs. Food Lab Operations & Leadership. Own day-to-day Food Lab operations, including scheduling, inventory management, sanitation, traceability, and prototype execution. Ensure equipment and ingredient readiness for development and scale-up activities, including sanitation. Manage finished-food storage, receiving, distribution, and end-to-end log management. Define and continuously elevate the Food Lab aspiration and experience, creating an environment that inspires creativity while maintaining operational discipline. Hire, train, mentor, and develop lab staff, contractors, and process leaders. Food Safety, Quality & Compliance. Ensure compliance with GM - Ps, food and people safety requirements, SSOPs, SOPs, and LOTO standards. Coordinate, update, and reinforce lab procedures, safety programs, and onboarding for new lab users. Serve as a key liaison with Corporate Quality, Legal, and Regulatory to support labeling needs, forensic analysis, and protection of company reputation. Purchasing & Budget Management. Own purchasing activities for R&D Innovation, including requisitions, purchase orders, goods receipt and purchasing log management. Manage the lab budget through spend tracking versus budget, GL reviews, GR/ IR management, and blocked-invoice resolution. Ensure timely procurement to support on-site and off-site testing and development activities. Including Ingredients for Industrial trials for Kellogg networks and co-manufacturers as needed. Outsourced Sanitation, EPI Storage, and Logistics. Manage internal laboratory service model to support sanitation. Define scopes of service and continuously improve lab performance. Align contracted lab capabilities with business strategies and influence SME staffing to support prototype execution. Partner with R&D, Quality, and Manufacturing leaders to meet critical business needs and continuity requirements. Operational Excellence & Enterprise Collaboration. Act as the WK Kellogg Co / Kellanova interface for lab and operational needs. Drive horizontal and vertical collaboration across R&D, Quality, Systems, and Manufacturing. Proactively identify and escalate operational, safety, compliance, and capacity risks. Deliver top-line and bottom-line impact through operational efficiency, waste reduction, cost savings, and data-driven decision-making. Role Evolution and Future State. This role is expected to help shape the future-state R&D operations model. The Food Lab and Operations Manager will play a key role in navigating transitions by preserving execution excellence, clarifying accountabilities, and ensuring uninterrupted R&D delivery during periods of change. Working knowledge of commercial agreements and service-level expectations REQUIREMENTS - Bachelor’s degree in food science, Engineering, Chemistry, or related technical discipline is preferred. Food, CPG, or manufacturing lab operations leadership is preferred. Strong background in food safety, quality systems, and GM - Ps is preferred. Experience managing outsourced laboratory services is preferred. Budget ownership, purchasing, and SAP/ WOW experience are preferred. Scheduling, logistics, inventory, and finished goods handling is preferred. Cross-functional leadership with plants, suppliers, and external partners is preferred. Key Skills & Competencies. Highly organized and detail-oriented. Strong horizontal and vertical collaborator. Solution-oriented with enterprise mindset. Sound prioritization and escalation judgment. Lab and operations management. Food safety and sanitation systems. Purchasing, logistics, and SAP/ WOW Salary Range: [$118,400 - $148,000]Salary pay ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, certifications, qualifications, relevant education or training, and local market conditions.